To Each His Own
by Ex Astris Scientia
Summary: A friendship fic...and then Spock, being his Vulcany manipulative self, went and stole my mind so I swear I didn't have a choice but to throw him into the mix...guh.


_Stockholm Syndrome: a term used to describe a paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors._

* * *

Doctor Leonard McCoy was trying to work.

_Trying_ being the operative keyword. Though _was_ did come quite close behind it.

"Ever heard of knocking?" he asked the grinning sunbeam at the foot of his bed. It had barged into his previously quiet and solitary room only seconds before and now stood their shining like the proverbial florescent lighting from the sick bay which he had just escaped.

If possible, the smile grew bigger. God, it was like the sun was on some sort of hallucinogen.

"Hey, I'll start knocking when you do."

Bones scoffed. "I'm a Doctor," he supplied in his own defence looking back down at a medical journal he was supposed to be reading.

Eyebrows rose in question. "And...?"

"I don't want to give you time to run out the backdoor and away from my medical checkups while I'm performing niceties on your behalf," he elaborated, scrolling down the PADD screen and not giving the boy the benefit of eye contact.

Laughter followed his words, bright and clear.

It was almost an acquired reflex for him to look up and quickly analyse the younger man, searching for anything which seemed slightly off. For Jim it would probably mean some life threatening illness eventually in the long run if there was. Nothing jumped out, so maybe there wasn't, but if anyone was used to Jim Kirk's stupid ability to hide whatever was bothering him it was the Doctor himself. It was better to be safe than sorry was what his grandmother always used to say.

She also used to say that there were little green men inside the rose bushes but that could have been the senility speaking at that point.

"What's up kid?" he asked getting straight to the point since neither of them was entirely fond of beating around the bush. Perhaps that's where their strong friendship sprouted from; for some people that sort of directness came across as harsh and callous, but what did he care?

Jim sure never had.

A reply followed a noncommittal shrug. "Nothing much. Just thought I'd come say hi."

Bones snorted. "Well, _hi-_" Jim shot him a glare at the exaggerated word. " Now go annoy Spock or someone, I'm busy." It was almost strange not to see the Vulcan with him. They were pretty much only one step off from being attached to the hip since their camaraderie had grown and positively burst over the past few months of active duty. It was impossible to be in the same room at the same time with the both of them sometimes.

"And so it was that the entire alpha quadrant ran away from the wrath that was Bones."

"I hate you."

"Ya love me."

Bones sighed exasperated and went back to reading through the seemingly endless amount of update reports he needed to analyse and file away eventually, purposely ignoring the kid's presence.

Footsteps- he swore they were _skipping_- made their way to the side of the bed he was currently sitting on with his back against the wall and legs splayed in front of him. His body was stretched out in some attempt to have a relatively peaceful and relaxing time while not on shift, a luxury he hardly ever got on this tin box he was flying in. Just as he began to read a critique on Andorian maladies, the bed dipped and another body flopped down haphazardly next his own, sending an entire night's worth of PADD's jumping into the air and skirting dangerously close to the edge of the bed. Bones cursed as he moved further to his left side to avoid being squashed, while trying simultaneously to grab the immense amount of work which was slowly evading his hands and slipping off the doona and onto the floor.

"So..."

Bones grumbled, giving up on the lost reports and instead fished around for the stylus which he had dropped when he'd been bombarded by the now cheekily grinning nuisance. A grunt of mild irritation made its way from him. "I'm guessing you don't know the meaning of personal space either?"

The question was unsurprisingly ignored. "Watcha doing?"

Bones stared deadpan down at the one now currently taking over more than _half_ of his bed and resisted the urge to push just a _little_ bit. "Do you even care?"

He rolled his eyes as the young face took on a contemplative expression.

"Probably not..."

Well, no revelation in that department.

"...but I kind of need something boring enough to send me to sleep."

He really hated the fact that the kid had such good reflexes, Bones realised, as he sent the nearest PADD toward his target. Jim caught it with a smirk and began to toss it from hand to hand. McCoy glared down at him and received only a pout in return.

"Gosh Bones, that was a blatant form of abuse if ever I saw it."

The Doctor scoffed and tried to grab the offending gadget back again, but it was moved just out of reach by a golden clad arm that was longer than his own. "Jim..." he growled out.

" '_Tellurite Toe Fungi by T.C Hankle' _"

Jim looked up at him, a smile curling his lips at the side. "You sometimes take your job just a _little_ too seriously Bones"

"Yeah, just like you should."

Jim grinned."And I do." Bones snorted. "Dude.._toe fungus_?" Jim waved the PADD around so erratically that the doctor momentarily feared for its life...or...uh...battery power.

Whatever.

Bones gave him a cynical look. "It _could_ be important Jim. You never know what sort of situation we might get thrown into next, what with your crazy psychotic antics as they are."

"I resent that Bones," Jim replied, trying to look hurt and failing miserably in the same instance. "My strategically laid _plans_ are impressive constructions of pure genius." He gave an obnoxious grin. "Just like meeee," he said and laughed at the horrified expression on the doctor's face.

Bones sunk down onto the bed further, trying to get more comfortable. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, shifting around, "whatever helps you to sleep well at night."

It was no use: both trying to reason with the kid as well as getting comfy. To have optimum comfort he would need that stupid regulation flat board they actually had the nerve to call a _pillow_ that was currently being held captive by the guy who was sprawled out next to him and rummaging through the assortment of PADD's and laughing at ones he must be finding particularly funny.

Well, that was easy enough to rectify.

"Bones!"

The Doctor grinned with uncontained glee as he moved the single pillow which was now in his possession behind his back and lent against it to waylay the reaching hand which followed its path. He looked down at the glaring kid who was now lying flat on his back, messy golden hair forming a halo around his head on the mattress. A haircut may be needed soon if it got any longer.

"Payback," he finally said in explanation.

"For what!"

"For making me feel old."

The kid laughed. This was a popular discussion of theirs which always had different end results each time. "You're not _that _old Bones."

"I'm thirty-six."

There was a pause.

"Okay, yeah. You _are_ old."

Such was a less than favourable result.

Bones groaned. "Not helping kid."

"I'm going to have to stop hanging out with you soon. My social image may start to be at risk."

"God, if _only_," the Doctor said with a contemplative sigh. "Imagine that. Peaceful, quiet-"

"Boring..."

Bones rolled his eyes at the interjection. "Anyway, feel free to leave since, you know, you just decided to do so," he said, gesturing toward the door and trying not to cross his fingers or anything just as childish, though it was a near thing.

Puppy dog eyes met his words.

Damnit.

"Don't you like me Bones?"

By all that was holy...if there wasn't a quivering lip somewhere in that expression he would eat his tricorder. The older man breathed out heavily. "No Jim. I don't not like you."

Whatever the heck that meant.

A mile wide smile split the face. "Awesome! That's settled then. I'm staying!"

These were the times when Bones could understand why the copious amount of hostile individuals which they encountered never quite got a grasp on any of Jim's strategies to defeat them. And that was when there actually _was _a stragedy, and not just where he and whoever he could drag along, though it was usually the green blooded hobgoblin, would run headfirst into a maelstrom of phaser fire and life threatening situations with a 'It'll be _fine_ Bones' tacked onto the end.

He really had his work cut out for him sometimes.

Reality returned when a weight was pressed down onto his stomach and he found a blonde head situated in the middle of it. Blue eyes were closed and there was a content expression on the younger face despite the fact that the connected lean body was now twisted at what must have been an extremely uncomfortable angle.

"Hey, you got any food in here? I'm real hungry."

Bones prayed to the heavens. "Jim..." His tone was patient. He didn't really think he was ready for an occupation change from a doctor to a portable cushion just yet.

The pay would probably suck.

"Hey man, I can't help the fact that you do make a relatively comfortable pillow. I'm just taking advantage of such a thing."

"And how _would_ you know such a thing exactly?"

The blue eyes opened and then looked up at him deviously, a sly grin accompanying them. "Think of your thirty-second birthday..."

Bones could already feel his face falling.

"...that bar we went to with the swirly colours and those drinks which we had which were blue and red and looked cool? Ringing any bells up there?"

"...Ah"

"I also vaguely remember a really good looking Andorian waiter, great legs, went on for _days._"

"Well, you can definitely remember more than I can," Bones supplied, scratching his jaw. He could hardly recall anything now that he was reminded of the incident. Such a fact didn't really faze him though since most of his birthdays had ended up like that after he met Jim.

Let the alcohol poisoning ensue.

He ran his hand along his left jaw feeling the pesky tell tale five day shadow which had recently cropped up. That boy was so lucky he didn't have to worry about bloody facial hair all the time- though it was much more to his annoyance and Bones' eternal amusement. He himself would have to shave soon and for some reason, despite the copious amounts of technological upgrades the world had receive over the time, such a practise had pretty much remained the same over the years for some reason or another.

Time to get out ye olde' razor. They really were the best of friends, bonding over blood and all that.

The kid shrugged. "Anywhere yeah, we crashed out at your place afterwards. Pretty much literally." Eyes gazed up at him, amusement evident within them. "You only had one pillow, so I improvised instead."

Bones snorted, dropping his hand. "Yeah well, we're not exactly stone drunk right now Jim, so if you want a pillow, your own is calling from your own bedroom just down the hall." He jerked a thumb in the desired direction.

This time the kid really did pout. What _was it_ with that look? Bones seriously needed to desensitize himself to it soon. It was just so much like Joanna's as he remembered it that he couldn't help but melt a little whenever he saw it. Not that he was calling Jim a little girl or anything. Bones snorted. Yeah, the kid would just _love_ that comparison. He sighed internally. It probably had more to do with the fact that such an expression seemed to open the bright face up, making it seem more vulnerable than it usually was when it was tucked away behind the confident male bravado that was Jim's ego. That sort of vulnerability made his paternal instinct rear up something awful...

"But I want to hang out with _you_. We hardly ever see each other these days, what with me being all important and shit now."

"Jim, we talked for an hour today!" Bones said, exasperated, feeling as if he was trying to placate a child. He threw his arms up into the air and let them fall back down with a huff. "And we ate breakfast and lunch together."

" Yeah..." The word was drawn out and just shy of a whine.

"You're being purposely difficult aren't you?"

Where he had expected there to be a snarky comment in reply or maybe another 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth smile', there was only a large, tired yawn. Bones couldn't help his features from softening in response and his voice took on a similar timbre.

"Shouldn't you be in bed by now Jimmy?" he asked, using the diminutive of the kid's name but also knowing the younger man wouldn't mind since there wasn't anyone else around to hear it. Being the guy who had to put up with all his medical situations while also picking the kid's drunken ass off some random bar floor periodically, kind of gave him a bit of leeway where all that was concerned. He couldn't resist the urge to move his hand forward, carding the blonde hair gently once before moving it back again.

It was actually quite late he thought, looking over at the digital clock next to his bed, confirming his guess. It was probably more so for Jim since he always put himself down for the double shift and consequently worked himself into the ground most of the time. There was a mumbled assertion about 'already being in _a_ bed, Bones', before there was silence once again. The doctor rolled his eyes.

"_Your_ bed," he clarified, lightly whacking the blonde head. Jim muttered something incomprehensible into his shirt, reaching down to pull up the lighter blanket which Bones had shoved down to the bottom reaches of the mattress when he had first collapsed onto the bed, and twisted slightly to wrap himself up, turning his head so that it rested on its side, golden hair falling across his profile.

Bones sighed, finally relenting to the fact that the kid was in for the long haul and that his occupation had momentarily changed to that of a squishy sleeping device. What the hell else was he supposed to do? Kick him out? That would probably go down about as well as trampling on a bunch of daises in front of little children. It wasn't like this sort of thing hadn't happened an upmost amount of times after Jim had decided that apparently _he_ would make an _awesome_ roommate and hacked into the academy's data bases to change around the pre-existing lodgings. In fact, for some reason, Jim seemed to always have found his own bed highly offensive to him, crashing either on his, the latest hook-up's, or the floor if need be. _Weird_ didn't even begin to cover it. Neither did an intense psychological profile which Jim would forever hate him for if he came up with one to explain the abnormal characteristic.

"Well, if you're going to stay in here, be quiet at least okay? So I can actually get some work done."

That would be a miracle if ever he saw one. There was a single muffled grunt in reply and Bones decided, albeit half-heartedly, to take that as Jim's assertion to maybe partially do what he was told to for once in his life. Before he could completely focus his attention back onto any one PADD, he felt a poke in his right side and he looked down momentarily confused. A single hand protruded from out of the blanket; a hand offering what he realised to be his lost stylus. Bones' eyebrows rose as he accepted the offered object and watched as the hand disappeared once again into the covers.

Okay then. Work it was apparently.

After a time of reading he vaguely noticed Jim's breathing slowly evening out, the rate becoming relaxed and calm in the tenors of sleep. Bones himself also settled in more comfortably, having to suppress a yawn here and there as the small screen in front of him began to lose focus more frequently. He hardly noticed as his spare hand made its way to the blonde head once again and softly tangled there in the golden locks, his thumb rubbing in delicate circular motions. It was an action which came instinctive to him as something within his mind remembered doing such a thing with another much younger child many, many years ago as that young youthful face would also soften and loose the harshness and heartbreak which life supplied to it.

Something within him sighed contently as his shoulders slumped forward and his head rested backwards against the wall. His eyes slowly slid shut against the blanket of darkness, allowing his mind to ease into a silent unconsciousness.

It must have been hours later when the door to his room chimed. Bones jerked awake, a movement which caused his forgotten PADD on Klingon metabolism to fall from his chest and unto the floor among the others. He rubbed his eyes and jaw trying to become coherent, yawning as he shifted slightly more upright from the slumped position he had adopted when sleep had obviously overtaken him. His arms, which at some point had found their way around the other current occupant of the bed were withdrawn carefully and then stretched.

He looked down at the warm figure which was curled against his side yet still somehow situated half on top of him, a hand curled into his blue uniform shirt and buried deep in a mass of blankets. He shook his head, chuckling softly at the expression on the young face which poked out. It was scrunched up, eyebrows slanted down and mouth frowning, just shy of a pout once again, like the kid was trying to figure out a difficult problem in his sleep and wasn't getting anywhere with it. His humour increased marginally as he thought of Jim getting hung up on particularly difficult cross word puzzle.

The doctor frowned. Actually, that wasn't funny. It was _exactly_ what he would in fact do.

Jim was damn stubborn when he wanted to be.

The door sounded again and Jim shifted at the noise. Bones looked back up and truly considered just pretending he wasn't in. It wasn't at all like he hadn't done _that_ before.

"Doctor McCoy?"

The doctor sighed. The hobgoblin would only be visiting if it was important, and if it were important then he would more than likely need Jim. Unless of course it was for _other_ reasons. Seriously, was he the only one on this entire ship which noticed that the apparently non contact, unemotional and stoic first officer was slightly more contact, emotional and loosely prone when he happened to be in the company of the Captain? He somehow doubted that everyone else could be _that_ unaware. Either way it was immensely funny to watch because the kid had absolutely _no_ clue about...whatever it was exactly that had been going on with that overgrown elf for the past couple of months now.

Just like for most things though, the Doctor had a diagnosis for the sneaky Vulcan's actions. And it was one of the few times that he could easily say it wasn't that bad.

Own opinions on pointy ears aside of course.

"What do you want Spock?"

There was a brief silence on the other side of the door, a sign of contemplation or even hesitation maybe. Bones wouldn't consider them the best of friends just yet, though Jim would claim otherwise just to rile them both up.

"May I enter?"

Bones glanced down at Jim and then back up, weighing his options and results before resolutely throwing them aside. Who really cared what anyone thought. He certainly didn't, and half the alpha quadrant misjudged Jim most of the time anyway. He searched for a new PADD, absently hoping that he had made at least a _dent_ in the amounts he had brought along.

Maybe a scratch if he was lucky.

"Yeah sure," he finally replied, reading the title of the report: Gravity Fractures. How...fascinating. Guh.

He heard the familiar swoosh of an opening door and then light footsteps on the carpeted floor as they walked into the room.

"According to the computer terminal the Captain presently resides within your quarters. I am here to ascertain whether or not this was-"

The words had started the moment the door had slid open but they just as quickly cut off when the owner became aware of his surroundings.

Or more specifically of the two _illogical _humans in his company.

Bones couldn't help but smile slightly as he watched the Vulcan's face drop into what he could only determine must have been an expression between shock and surprise. Well, finding your Captain using the CMO as a pillow wasn't exactly something that was normal for the pointy-eared guy, he conceded. For the Doctor himself it had pretty much turned into second nature since dealing with the kid as a cadet. Whatever. Everyone had to make room for cultural differences, even if it had more to do with the strange character of Jim himself rather than anything _cultural_.

"Doctor?"

Bones glanced up again, caught Spock's newly formed expression of 'analysing scientist' which was slightly just _too_ polite to be healthy, and rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me like that Spock," he said shaking his head. "You know it's not what you think."

Spock's entire body stiffened and tensed and his eyes narrowed marginally, probably unintentionally. Bones almost had to look twice because that _couldn't_ be jealousy mixed within those dark eyes, could it?

"Do I?"

The Vulcan's voice was low and grating. Pale fingers twitched.

"Yeah," the Doctor snapped in response, annoyed now though not truly knowing why. He threw his PADD down onto the bed covers in the momentary agitation. "You do in fact". Perhaps it was because Spock was once again just thinking what nearly everyone had thought at the academy, jumping to conclusions and making assumptions. "We are friends Spock, _friends," _he said slowly, just in case the genius couldn't comprehend his words behind that veil of something Bones just_ knew_ had lowered within the prestigious mind.

The dark eyes continue to flash for a moment, hard and burning in the low lit room. It was only after a few more seconds under the doctor's continued stare which literally _dared_ him to contradict his words that the Vulcan's shoulders slumped slightly and the coffee eyes softened. "I see," he almost whispered into the now very quiet room.

Bones sighed heavily, before smiling knowingly. He crossed his arms and leant against the back wall.

"Possessive bastard aren't you?" he said, smirking.

Annoyance flittered across the alien face which was put into complete contrast to suddenly green tinged ears.

"I am _not_-"

"Bones?"

The voice was quiet and drowsy, almost indistinguishable if the Doctor hadn't been laying so close to its owner, and yet it cut through the Vulcan's words, leaving only silence in its wake. Bones looked down. Slowly blinking eyes looked up at him from the blankets, their usual brightness clouded by the sleep gone past. Spock had frozen and was looking intently at the bundle of blankets and sheets that of which was currently Jim.

The kid yawned, one hand coming to rub wearily against an eye, before disappearing once more under the covers. "Why are you shouting?"

Pissy Vulcan or not, Bones couldn't stop the urge to once again send his hand through the blonde hair and smile. "I'm not," he replied, though realising that he probably had been unintentionally. Out of the corner of his eye he saw one of Spock's hands twitch. "Me and Spock were just talking,"

Yeah, and he was an Andorian cyborg.

The blue eyes lit up.

"Spock?"

"Yeah Jimmy, he's right here."

Spock moved forward a step before halting once more.

"Captain I-"

All the sheets were dragged from across him and cold air instantly assaulted any bare skin as Jim rolled onto his other side, blinking up at the Vulcan with bleary wide eyes and a tired lopsided smile.

Bones choked on a laugh at the look which briefly passed across the commander's face as his voice stuttered off. The kid seriously had no idea how endearing he looked when he did that unintentionally. Apparently particular green blooded creatures weren't immune to it either.

Jim blinked confused, sitting up with a slight groan which quickly turned into a name. "Spock?"

The wheels began to turn once more in the Vulcan's head. He took a deep breath, steadying himself before speaking. "Captain I have received a message from Starfleet Headquarters which will need to be reviewed at your most convenient schedule."

He stood ramrod straight, staring intently at the far wall. Bones rolled his eyes before shivering as the cold started to get the better of him. He grabbed onto the edge of the blanket and tried to covertly pull it over to his side of the bed.

It moved a few centimetres before a hand appeared out of nowhere and griped the other side, anchoring it down. Bones glared down at the offending appendage.

"What's it about?"

Dark eyes flicked down from the wall and Spock seemed to almost instinctively move closer, his hands still clasped behind his back. "It appears to be concerning our next orders Sir."

Jim's head whipped around and he received a pointed look from sharp blue eyes when he tugged on the blanket once more. The kid answered his first officer without turning around, resolutely keeping a steady eye on the doctor's hands. "Diplomatic or other?"

There was a hesitant pause. "...Other."

Bones eyebrows rose when Jim attempted to pull the blanket back to his side, not giving an inch. He shook his head in amusement, his humour seeming to only annoy the younger man further.

"Romulan?"

Jim kept pulling. Bones smiled evilly, digging his fingers into the material and holding on, feeling the fabric being stretched close to its limits. This was as close as the kid would ever get to a no-win scenario because there was _no way_ he was relinquishing his end.

"Klingon, Captain."

Jim grunted, grabbing further along the sheet. "Brilliant. _Just_ what we need. Some ego filled, testosterone fuelled, macho 'for the empire and beyond'... "

Bones let go.

"..horned Kling- _guh_!"

A blonde head, whirling arms and flailing legs fell off the edge of the bed as the blanket suddenly went slack, taking most of the rest of the bed with them. Jim landed with an unmistakable 'umph' onto the unforgiving ground, disappearing from the doctor's sight and leaving only bare feet hooked onto the side of the mattress.

There was a silence. Bones looked up.

Spock looked back, mouth slightly agape and eyes wider than usual. McCoy shrugged casually, moving to the side of the bed and, in unison, they both looked down at the mass of blankets and tangle of limbs.

"I hate you Bones."

The words were muffled and annoyed. An arm came up and dragged covers away to reveal an anything but happy face.

Bones smirked.

"Ya love me," he replied, echoing the Jim's words from before. Just because that fire _totally_ needed some more fuel to it.

Blue eyes flashed, but McCoy could see the amusement within them. "I think you may be getting that confused with the Stockholm's syndrome."

Bones laughed, grabbing his pillow from beneath him and throwing it at Jim's face who batted it away to the side with as much dignity as he could muster, before looking up at the still silent and slightly perturbed looking Vulcan above him.

"You're really tall, you know?"

Spock quirked an eyebrow. "Indeed. I had not noticed."

Bones snorted. Who knew the hobgoblin could actually joke.

Jim's head whipped down and his eyes narrowed.

"Anyway..." Jim stretched the word out over a few syllables, rolling it on his tongue. He looked back up. "Klingons you say?"

Spock did his best to keep a completely neutral expression on his face. "Yes. I believe we will be required to patrol the border."

Jim's face fell. "What? Again?" he complained. "_Maann_..," he whined.

"Ah, don't moan kid, it could be worse."

Jim looked at him, looking personally affronted. "Oh I'm _sorry,_ did I say you could speak?"

Bones gave a bark of laughter. "Did I _say_ you could be in_ my_ room?" he asked, before remembering that he actually had. Why was that again?

Jim did his best to look offended. "Well if I'm such a _burden_ then perhaps I'll just _go_."

"I truly do not comprehend the need for the excessive emphasis on your wording-"

"Well why _don't_ you then?" Bones asked, crossing his arms.

"_Fine_." Jim heaved himself up from the floor, struggling out from underneath the mass of blankets and sheets strewed upon the ground. "I don't know what I ever saw in you _anyway_," he said pointing dramatically down at the doctor who was now having a hard time quelling his laughter. He turned around, nose in the air. "Come on Spock. Let's leave _Leonard_ to wallow in the sadness which my absence will surely bring him!"

Spock's mouth worked as he looked between the two men, completely lost. "Captain I-"

Jim grabbed the Vulcan by the arm and pulled him roughly around, stalking towards the door and ranting as he went.

"Seriously, what does it take to get just a little bit of respect around here? Of the billions of people in the world and I'm stuck with a hypo loving maniac!" he told the roof as he threw his hands up and shook his head.

Bones scoffed. "Hey kid, I've saved your ass so many times I've lost count." he informed the retreating back. Jim shot him a look from over his shoulder and then turned around. He smirked as he casually slung an arm over Spock's narrow shoulders and leaned into the warm curve of the Vulcan's body. Spock stiffened marginally, eyes widening slightly at the unexpected contact. He shot a glance at the human at his side before relaxing into the innocent touch. Bones sighed in relief. "Sorry Bones, I've got a _new _best friend," Jim said smugly. He dropped his head onto the blue clad shoulder next to him and gave a sweetly sick smile. The doctor attempted not to notice the fact that his two commanding officers were, in fact, now joined at the hip . "Spock's all mine now."

Bones couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation and Spock shot him a look.

"He's all yours Commander," he said, waving a hand in dismissal. The Vulcan opened his mouth to reply but abruptly closed it before any words could form. Spock's eyes narrowed and then he rose an arm and slid it around the slim golden waist, tugging the human closer, his eyes still intent on the Doctor and his lips quirking slightly at the corners.

Bones choked on what would have been his next jibe if it hadn't just been shot down and burned.

Damn pointy-eared hobgoblin.

Jim looked surprised for a moment, glancing downwards at the contact and frowning for a moment. Appearing as if making his mind on something however, he then shrugged and turned and smiled up at the Vulcan, blues eyes trapping warm brown ones instantly.

Hit...and miss. Bones rose his eyes skyward. This was getting as bad as Russian roulette.

"Ignore him Spock. It will be awesome, trust me," he insisted fervently to the Vulcan. "I've had people _line_ up to be my best friend you know," Jim said, nodding his head seriously. Bones snorted.

"Bullshit," he coughed into the back of his hand.

The two men studiously ignored him. Jim's eyes begged.

The Vulcan's own softened.

"Of course Jim."

_Of course._ Bones rolled his eyes.

Jim turned to give him a look which clearly said 'see, at least _someone_ does what I ask them to.'

He turned back to Spock and gave him an assessing look. "Come on then," he said pulling his first officer in the direction of the door. "Let's go."

"Go?"

"Yeah. Do you know how to play Poker by any chance?"

"Poker?"

"Yeah. I'm sure we could do some serious damage tag-teaming. Even might beat Chekov once in awhile too possibly."

"I have never found occasion to play," came the reply, which seemed almost disappointed. The familiar whir signified the opening of a door.

"Oh..."

"However, I am open to learning the game if you would be willingly to teach me."

There was a laugh. "Sure as hell am I willing!"

"I am gratified Jim."

"Yeah yeah. I know I'm awesome. Okay so _basically_..."

Bones waited until the door slid closed before leaning lazily back against the wall and gazing up at the ceiling.

"You have no idea kid," he said to the empty room, chuckling quietly and shaking his head."No idea at all."

He sighed heavily, picking up his stylus from his bedside cabinet and stooped down low to grab his personal PADD from off the floor as well as retrieve his pillow. He commanded the lights to a higher percentage so there would be no way he could fall asleep again, before settling himself down onto the mattress with a slight groan, stretching his legs out before him. He stuffed the pillow behind his back.

The Doctor could only hope that at some point in the near future such a thing would be rectified and that the damn Vulcan would finally get a move on so he didn't have to resist the urge to whack Jim around the head for being so bloody oblivious all the time. It really didn't suit the overall package of a "certified genius" all that much he'd come to realise. Neither was he one to condone violence as much as the kid seemed to think so it was really difficult having something akin to a multiple personality disorder during lunchtimes when all he wanted was some peace and quiet, his Argentinean coffee with extra sugar, and a damn good meal which didn't complain when he ordered that it should have a hella of a lot more green stuff in it.

McCoy waited patiently for the electronic unit in his hands at it powered up, running the stylus across the key pad, feeling the ridges and bumps that made it up. The dark screen lit up after a brief moment and he went to search for his medical journals, stopping however when a message appeared on the screen in front of him. He frowned, clicking it open and finding an attached file. He read the words written above it and the frown disappeared. His lips twitched.

"_**How to be nice to an Awesome Starfleet Captain 101"**_

_Thought you could learn something beneficial for once..._

_P.S: Tellurite Toe Fungus? Seriously, WTF?_

_J._

Bones smiled.

That kid was going to be alright.

* * *

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